House Democrats took an unusual step on Friday to support House Speaker Mike Johnson’s foreign aid package, despite opposition from many within his own party. This rare bipartisan move occurred on a procedural vote which typically falls along party lines.
With 151 Republicans and 165 Democrats, the vote passed a rule that sets the framework for legislative debate and voting on the package. This bipartisanship was necessary after 55 Republicans, mainly hardliners opposed to the $61 billion designated for Ukraine, voted against it. This crucial vote paves the way for the bill’s passage, expected early Saturday.
According to Axios, Republican leaders, including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), have increasingly relied on Democratic votes due to internal party dissent. This pattern was evident last May when Democrats supported a bill to raise the debt ceiling following a conservative revolt.
Chip Roy (R-TX), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Tom Massie (R-KY), known for their staunch conservative stances, voted against the rule because it did not tie border security measures to foreign aid. Despite this, Speaker Johnson plans to push forward an “aggressive” border bill, which, although failing in the Rules Committee, will be considered under a suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority for passage.
CBS News reported that the three main foreign aid bills under discussion would allocate $26.4 billion for Israel, $60.8 billion for Ukraine, and $8.1 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, including significant support for Taiwan. The aid for Israel also includes over $9.1 billion for Palestinian humanitarian efforts, a key factor for Democratic support.
A fourth bill addresses other GOP foreign policy goals, like using frozen assets of Russian oligarchs to fund Ukrainian aid, potentially mandating the sale of TikTok, and imposing stricter sanctions on Russia, China, and Iran.
This move has deepened divisions among House Republicans, with some far-right members threatening to dethrone Johnson as speaker due to his support for Ukrainian funding.
Johnson defended his actions, emphasizing the importance of supporting Ukraine and stating he would not let fears of a leadership challenge prevent him from doing his job. “History judges us for what we do,” Johnson stated, acknowledging the global significance of these decisions.
Earlier in the week, Johnson also introduced a major election integrity bill, stating, “Every single person who registers to vote in a federal election must prove they’re an American citizen first,” aiming to align U.S. practices with those of other democracies which prohibit non-citizen voting.
Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy supported strengthening election integrity with measures like making Election Day a national holiday and ensuring all voting is done on paper ballots in English, with government-issued IDs.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump publicly supported Speaker Johnson during a gathering at Mar-a-Lago, countering efforts by figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to oust him. Trump praised Johnson’s leadership and emphasized cooperation within the party despite existing challenges.
